One Great Leap of Love
by FrankieSays
Summary: EDITED! MAJOR REVISIONS! Ron and Hermione are caught in the midst of another battle. Will they survive long enough to say how much they mean to each other? Read, and review!
1. Is it the last 'I Love you?

**Title: **One Great Leap Of Love

**Summary: **_"He said the last thing he wanted to do if ever he's killed is 'I love you' to a person he loved" said Hermione. _A battle is raging in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Will Ron and Hermione survive, long enough to say how much they mean to each other?

**Warnings: **Very, very, slightly AU. Set near the end of the Deathly Hallows. Minor changes include: Fred, Lupin, and Tonks are still alive; the killed human Death Eaters aren't dead (yet); and after Harry kills Voldemort, things are quite different. . .

Note: I posted this fic a few weeks ago, this is edited. A Repost

The Final Battle had just ended. Harry had gone off with the senior Order of the Phoenix members to the Burrow to discuss future plans, along with the future, and what it could possibly hold. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the others decided to stay. They volunteered to fix up the huge mess the battle has caused to the magnificent structure of the castle. From broken windows to the Death Eaters sprawled unconscious on the floor, the seventh and sixth graders who had stayed through the battle decided to fix up the mess. A few minutes after the members of the Order of the Phoenix departed for the Burrow, a bright jet of red light soared in the air, narrowly missing Seamus Finnigan's head.

The Death Eaters sprang up, eyes wild with madness and revenge. Whipping out their wands, they began hexing, jinxing, and cursing every one they met. Jets of lights brightened up the Great Hall. Another battle had begun.

"_Expelliarmus!"_

"_Confrigo!" _

"_Stupefy!" _

Hogwartians and a few members of the Order of the Phoenix bellowed in their duels, sending jets of light across. They were quite outnumbered.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _

Death Eaters were shootings spells all around. Some were engaged in a one-on-one combat with one of the Order, others were running through, shooting spells everywhere.

"Bloody hell. . ." Ron's had a slash on his cheek and now his head was reeling from the jinxes shot at them. "_Protego!_" he roared suddenly, as a Death Eater shot a Cruciatus Curse. His blue eyes met Hermione, battling it out with another Death Eater, her bushy mane flying all around. _"Stupefy! _Hermione!" He sprinted to her side, and with a force of their combined spells, sent the Death Eater reeling and stunned.

"Ron!" Hermione cried.

"Let's. Get. Out. Of. Here." Ron said between gasps. Hand in hand, they sprinted out the Great Hall.

They found refuge in front of an empty Charms classroom. Ron sat on the cold stone floor. Hermione did likewise and used her wand to heal her bruises.

"Ron, are you alright? You looked pretty banged up." She asked concernedly

"Hermione, I think we gotta tell Harry about this. He's not gonna like it. Can you send a Patronus or something?" Ron grimly cut in.

Hermione sighed. She knew how to send a Patronus, although she hadn't tried it yet. There was just one complication she was worried about: the Burrow's interior was protected by an extremely powerful spell that no magic can penetrate. Only if Harry had walked outside the door would he see a Patronus. The only way to get a message was through Floo powder. In the midst of the battle, it was impossible to find a fireplace and Floo to the Burrow.

"Oh, well. I guess we have to plunge back in the battle." Ron said shakily, after Hermione explained the grim facts.

"Wait." Hermione grabbed his cheek. For one crazy second, Ron was hoping and dreaming that Hermione was going to lean in for a kiss. Secretly, Hermione wanted to do so. Instead, she quietly healed the gashes on his cheek. _So much for the kiss_, both Ron and Hermione thought.

They went back in the battle.

Ron was engaged in a duel with a masked Death Eater with unnaturally cold blue eyes. _So much like mine, _came the thought in his mind for a split second before sending a Stunning spell strong enough to pierce through his Shield Charm.

Hermione's luck was diminishing. Her opponent was soon gaining the upper hand. He tried disarmed her, although by some thin thread of luck, she was able to clutch her wand tightly. She was now dodging the curses, some of which were fatal, while sending some of her own. Then

"_Petrificus!" _

Hermione froze. Although the man hadn't used the 'totalus' suffix to totally bind her frozen, Hermione's exhaustion seemed to hold her tightly in the curse.

"Mudblood Granger aren't you?" Hermione's insides boiled at the utterance of the word. "Well, well, well. You know, I could have sent a Killing Curse directly, instead of what I'm doing now. But then, I want to see you suffer on your death bed, if you're even gonna have the chance to get there. I want to know that you will suffer. To watch your hours dwindling away." His words came out like a death sentence issued out from the cold mouth of the Death Eater.

Ron saw Hermione's opponent pointing a wand to her chest. Time seemed to be on a standstill as he ran and leapt, right at the curse's path, pushing Hermione out of the way.

"_Sectumsempra!" _the Death Eater roared. . . just as Ron yelled "I LOVE YOU HERMIONE!!"

As Hermione saw Ron being thrown in the air with the force of the spell, her eyes were seeing and remembering different things. . .

_They were in Number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was they're momentary sanctuary from the violence they faced. Harry was snoring soundly on his sleeping bag. Hermione, under Ron's insistence was lying down on the couch, with Ron next to her on his sleeping bag. "Ron," she spoke suddenly. "What would you like to be the last things you would say in case you are suddenly killed?" she didn't know the reason behind her words. Although, deep inside, she asked that to assuage her heart. "Erm. . . Well," Ron paused. "I guess I would scream 'I Love You' to the person I fancied for ages. Yeah, I guess I loved her. She never knew though. I'll say, or scream, or whatever, 'I love you' to that woman." Hermione's heart plummeted. _

Hermione was yanked back into the scene in the Great Hall. Then, with the force of a stampeding troll, she realized, she _was _that woman.

She watched Ron fall into the ground, the front of his robes ripped and soaked in blood.

"RON!!" was all she could scream.


	2. No news is good news

**Note: **If you haven't read the revised edition of chapter one, turn around and read it! Cause you won't understand anything in this chapter if you don't read the revised! Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Ginny was hexing a big, muscular Death Eater in front of her. She looked sideways and saw other fellow students hexing masked Death Eaters. A surge of grim pride soared through her. Through thick and thin, Hogwartians would always hold up. With the exception of Slytherins, she added as an afterthought.

After what seemed like ages, all the Death Eaters had been tied up, knocked out, or in very few cases, killed. Horace Slughorn uttered a spell that encased the Death Eaters in a silvery sphere, after all had snatched away their wands. It was more than he could do for the few Hogwartians lying cold on the floor, eyes unseeing.

Ginny sighed. How many times had she faced a battle, a duel before? She was becoming an expert in it. _Although, _she thought, _nothing would match Hermione, Ron, and Harry's dueling skills, in our age. _Looking around, she cast her eyes in search of Ron and Hermione. She gave a sigh of relief when she couldn't find them lying on the ground.

"Oh, no." she murmured. They were nowhere in the Great Hall. She had a terrible feeling in her gut. It wasn't unlike the feeling she felt during Ron's poisoning episode the previous year. Shaking her head, she tried to reassure herself with images of Ron and Hermione safe and sound, probably kissing their heads off. But then, the feeling wouldn't go away.

Her thoughts were broken with a sound of running, coupled with "GINNY! GINNY!" in a familiar, male voice. Neville was sprinting toward her, a grave, look in his face. For Ginny, it was as if her death sentence has arrived.

Harry was sitting in the Burrow. They had finished an hour of talking. All seemed well until, with a cacophony of grunting and panting, Horace Slughorn's great bearded head appeared in the fireplace. The witches and wizards around Harry gave a yelp of shock.

"Harry! M'boy! There's no time to explain! -"

"Wotcher, Professor." Tonks said, in a slightly shocked.

"Nymphadora! There's no time! Harry," he paused, and looked around the room, "Well, and the rest of you. Hogwarts was under attack a mere seconds after you departed! The Death Eaters sprang up and fought!"

Collective gasps of shock and anger rang through the room.

"Are they alright? Is everyone alright?" Molly Weasley cried

"What happened? How could this possibly happen?" Remus Lupin said

"We gotta get going, right away!" Bill and Percy shouted

Bemused, Slughorn looked at Tonks.

"Everyone quiet!" Tonks cried. When no one paid her heed, she pointed her wand in the air. A loud bang erupted and everyone reluctantly turned their attention to her. "We got to calm down and put our heads together. Professor Slughorn, what is the situation now in Hogwarts?"

Slughorn seemed to be immensely relieved. He nodded and spoke. "Everything is under control at the moment. The Death Eaters have been rounded up. Some have been killed. I'm afraid some from our side have died."

"How about Ron and Hermione? Ginny?" Harry couldn't keep his concern for them at bay. He couldn't imagine them, lying cold on the floor, never to speak, to love, to fight again.

"Ginny's alright. Although we couldn't find Ron or Hermione. . ."

Ginny was running. Her legs were working their way, a loud footfall after another, in rapid succession. She had to get to Ron. Horrible images were going through her mind. Cheerlessly, she comforted herself with the fact that he was in the Hospital Wing, not in some makeshift morgue. The dark hallway to the closed doors of the room was now in sight.

"Hermione!" she panted as she reached the doors. She stopped. Something was definitely wrong. Hermione was sitting there, clutching her knees to her chest. Tear stains were marking her grime-coated cheeks.

"Hermione?" Ginny said cautiously. "Hermione, what happened?"

"Ron. . . Ginny, they . . . he. . . bloody bastard. Sectumsempra . . . on the chest." Hermione couldn't go further. She sobbed on Ginny's shoulder, soaking it. Ginny sat still. Her heart had momentarily stopped. Sectumsempra was terrible. Recalling Harry's words _"Terrible wounds, slashes. Lucky he didn't get them on the chest. I bet only Snape knows the curing spell for that." _


	3. wait

Chapter 3: Agony

Hermione and Ginny kept their vigil until Harry arrived. When he did, all they could do was stare at each other and wait for the grim news in the form of Madam Pomfrey. Tonks and Remus had convinced Mr. and Mrs. Weasley not to go to Hospital Wing for the time being, as Ron was still being treated. Who knows what the grim, set face of Mr. Weasley or the worrying, sobbing face of Mrs. Weasley could do to Hermione, Ginny, and Harry's frayed nerves?

Hermione had blurted out what happened, from her limited point of view. All that mattered about it was that Ron, in an effort to save Hermione from terrifying wounds, had a powerful _Sectumsempra _curse shot at his chest, or more importantly, his heart.

Harry's musings were interrupted when the twins arrived.

"Charlie, Bill, and Perce are helping clean up the Great Hall. They wanted to storm here right away, but we thought better of it." George explained. "Its quite a mess we made in there."

"Damn it." Harry growled. "I shouldn't have left here."

"Don't go beating yourself up, mate."

"Ron was bleeding to death, the last time I heard! So, don't tell me to calm down when my best mate is hanging by the thread in there!" Harry exclaimed angrily. No one said anything until Madam Pomfrey opened the door.

Everyone stood up immediately.

"Mr. Weasley is alright, for this moment. He's sleeping now, although, quite fitfully, I must say. Now, the curse, _Sectumsempra, _you call it, Ms. Granger? Well thankfully, a powerful healing spell coupled with ten other potions did the trick. There is a complication though." Everyone waited with bated breath on what she was going to say next. "A spell shows that he was Cruciated on the chest twice. Which led to bleeding. Although it was taken care of, he'll have to lie in for around a week or so. Until he feels strong enough to get up."

"May we see him?" Ginny asked.

Madam Pomfrey cracked a little smile. "Of course you may."


	4. Gits

Sorry if the update is late! Anyway, I'll need some reviews to keep this story going. It perks me up. I might be posting a Lily/James fic soon, what do you think? R/R!

_Ron felt the pain. The cold, twisted, excruciating pain. He felt it the moment he first received the slash, empowered by the Death Eater's force. Deep inside, he felt like dying. Although dying probably was better than this excruciating pain. Darkness overcame him. . . _

"Damn the darkness." Ginny muttered. Raising her wand, "_Lumo-"_

Madam Pomfrey came over. "Ms. Weasley, if you please. I'd rather not have strong lights here." Pointing her wand at Ron's bedside table, a small light flickered in it.

"That's better." Madam Pomfrey bustled away.

"Why the bloody hell did he have to be so chivalrous?" that was Hermione. She was sitting on the chairs, just like the twins, Harry, and Ginny.

The twins, even in the darkness of the situation, sniggered. Harry gave a small chuckle. Ginny looked put out.

"Hermione, dear Hermione, you've read _Hogwarts, A History_ a million times, or so-" Fred began

"Twenty-four times, as our dear brother, says-" George continued

"It must be sufficient enough for you to hypothesize that -"

"Gryffindor is only for the brave, the daring-"

"And the chivalrous at heart." They concluded together, although the glimmer of mischief in their eyes after speeches like this was unusually absent.

Stupid chivalry, _Ron was thinking, through the haze of pain. He couldn't see, nor hear, but he could sense the presence of being beside him. Friend or foe, he couldn't care less. _Of all the curses, it had to be this, dang it. _He was thinking, if it was indeed worth it. . . all he wanted was to open his eyes, see the light of the day, and be rescued from the pain, the darkness. _

Hermione looked ready to break down. Neither Harry nor Fred and George noticed it, although Ginny, being part of the emotional, sensitive race called females, was starting to notice. Ginny stood up.

"I think we better go out . . . tell mum how Ron is." Looking at the twins, she hoped that her message would come across. Luckily, the twins sensed it. Weasleys had this uncanny way of 

passing messages to each other, Harry thought, looking bemusedly at their looks of grim understanding. Hermione, though, didn't notice anything about Harry or the twins standing up. She was staring at Ron's face, as though by doing that, he'll open his eyes once more, well and alive.

"Erm. . . 'Mione?" Harry started tentatively. "Would you mind staying here for a moment? We'll run along and tell Mrs. Weasley, you know."

Hermione nodded. The others made their quick exit.

Once out of hearing range, Hermione broke her dam of tears. She sobbed.

"Ron, dang it. Ron, why did you have to jump in front of the stupid spell? That was probably the stupidest thing in all the stupid things you've done. Why, Ron, why?" Hermione was in a full, crying jag. "Was. . . was that so you'll save me from agony? Because, you're a git, you know that, a bloody, freaky git. I think you're putting me in more agony now than if you had left me there. I hate you, Ron." She stopped. "No, I don't hate you. You know, when you wake up, I probably would strangle the life out of you. No. . . No, I wouldn't, in a million years do that. Because, Merlin's pants," she gave a wavering chuckle, "I love you. When I kissed you in the Room of Requirement millions of years ago, I meant it. You have no absolute idea how incandescently happy I was when you. . . kissed me back. It was like a six-year dream come true. Only the dream isn't coming true yet. I want to marry you. Oh, I'm such a git. To marry a git? Yes, but I freaking love you. So Ron, please, wake up. . . Just wake up." She cried on the sheets.

Unknown to her, Ginny was watching from the door. The youngest Weasley sighed.

"You have no idea, Hermione. . . You're both gits. . ."


End file.
